# The Quantum Chip Race is On: Meet the Companies Building the Future

## The Quantum Chip Race is On: Meet the Companies Building the Future

For years, quantum computing has been touted as the next big technological leap, promising to solve problems currently intractable for even the most powerful classical computers. Now, in 2025, that promise is edging closer to reality, thanks to the relentless efforts of a diverse range of companies focused on building the fundamental building blocks of this revolutionary technology: quantum chips.

The potential applications of quantum computing span across numerous fields, including medicine, cybersecurity, materials science, and chemistry. However, significant hurdles remain, most notably the creation of stable and scalable quantum chips capable of hosting a large number of qubits – the quantum equivalent of bits.

While tech behemoths like Google and Microsoft are heavily invested in the field, a host of innovative startups and smaller tech companies are also playing a crucial role, tackling challenges such as connectivity and error correction that are vital for scaling these complex systems. This article spotlights some of the key players in the quantum chip race, highlighting their unique approaches and technological bets.

While the giants often grab headlines with high qubit counts, smaller companies are experimenting with novel designs and alternative approaches, potentially yielding equally, or even more, promising results. Here’s a look at some of the companies worth watching:

**Akhetonics:** This German photonics startup is taking a contrarian approach with its all-optical, general-purpose quantum chip. The company secured €6 million in seed funding in November 2024, fueled by its unique first-principles design.

**Alice & Bob:** The French startup is aiming for “fault-tolerant” quantum computing systems. In January 2025, they secured a substantial $104 million Series B round to further develop their unique approach using “cat qubits,” a type of superconducting qubit designed for superior error reduction. Unlike some focused solely on chips, Alice & Bob are building full quantum computing systems.

**Atom Computing:** This U.S.-based company is building quantum computers using arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms. Their partnership with Microsoft, announced in late 2024, aims to launch a commercial quantum computer in 2025.

**Amazon:** The e-commerce giant officially entered the quantum chip arena in early 2025 with the introduction of “Ocelot,” developed in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology. This follows their earlier launch of Braket, a quantum computing service leveraging partnerships with companies like D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti.

**D-Wave:** A pioneer in quantum computing, D-Wave’s flagship Advantage2 prototype utilizes quantum annealing, a process that harnesses quantum physics to find optimal solutions for complex problems. Founded in 1999, D-Wave is now a publicly traded company on the NYSE.

**EeroQ:** This Illinois-based startup is betting on helium for its quantum chip design. Following a $7.25 million seed funding round in 2022, EeroQ is expanding its Chicago headquarters with a $1.1 million investment.

**Fujitsu & RIKEN:** In April 2025, Fujitsu and Japanese research institution RIKEN announced the development of a 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, a significant upgrade from their 64-qubit version in 2023.

**Google:** Google’s latest quantum computing chip, “Willow,” was unveiled in December 2024. Google claims it represents a major breakthrough in quantum error correction, with some even suggesting its performance lends credence to the “many parallel universes” theory.

**IBM:** IBM’s quantum efforts include “Condor,” a superconducting chip boasting 1,121 qubits, and “Heron,” a 156-qubit processor focused on improving performance and reducing error rates.

**Intel:** Intel is pursuing quantum computing using silicon spin qubits. They unveiled their 12-qubit research chip, “Tunnel Falls,” in June 2023, but a next-generation chip based on this technology, expected in 2024, has yet to be released.

**IonQ:** Publicly listed IonQ develops trapped-ion quantum computers, including the IonQ Forte. They acquired Canadian networking specialist Entangled Networks after going public in late 2021.

**IQM:** This Finnish startup is building superconducting quantum computers with support from the Business Finland government agency and the EIC Accelerator program. In 2022, IQM raised €128 million in Series A2 funding.

**Microsoft:** In February 2025, Microsoft introduced “Majorana,” a quantum chip based on a topological core architecture. Microsoft aims to build a quantum supercomputer within the next decade.

**Pasqal:** Taking a full-stack approach to quantum computing, French startup Pasqal is focusing on neutral atoms. Co-founded by Nobel Prize laureate Alain Aspect, Pasqal raised €100 million in Series B funding in early 2023.

**PsiQuantum:** This quantum computing startup is employing photonics technology with the ambitious goal of building a “1 million-quantum-bit machine.” In February 2025, they announced “Omega,” a quantum photonic chipset manufactured at GlobalFoundries. The company is reportedly raising a substantial $750 million round at a $6 billion pre-money valuation.

**Qilimanjaro:** This Spanish startup is developing analog quantum application-specific integrated circuits (QASICs) and adopting a full-stack approach encompassing hardware, software, and applications. They received €1.5 million in funding from Catalonia after winning the Four Years From Now startup competition at Mobile World Congress in 2024.

**Quandela:** Founded in 2017, Quandela is a French startup dedicated to developing photonic quantum computers. In November 2023, they secured €50 million in Series B funding and received support from the French government’s France 2030 Plan.

**Quantinuum:** Formed in 2021 through the merger of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions, Quantinuum’s flagship product is the H-Series of trapped-ion quantum computers. They announced a breakthrough in error correction with Microsoft in April 2024.

**QuantWare:** This Dutch startup has developed a proprietary 3D chip architecture, VIO, specifically designed to address scaling bottlenecks in quantum processing units (QPUs). They began taking preorders for their first QPU for quantum error correction, Contralto-A, in February 2025, and recently raised a €20 million Series A round.

**QuEra:** Boston-based QuEra is pursuing neutral atoms as the “best approach to achieve large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers.” Their Aquila, a 256-qubit analog neutral-atom quantum computer, is accessible via Amazon Braket and is backed by Google, which led a $230 million debt round in February 2025.

**Rigetti Computing:** Founded in 2013, Rigetti Computing focuses on superconducting technology. The company offers products like Ankaa-3 and is developing the upcoming 336-qubit Lyra system. Rigetti is a publicly listed company after going public via a SPAC in 2021 and recently entered a strategic partnership with Quanta Computer to accelerate the development of superconducting quantum computing.

**SEEQC:** SEEQC, short for “scalable, energy-efficient quantum computing,” is a U.S. quantum startup and a spinout of chip company Hypres. They are partnering with Nvidia to build an “all-digital, ultra-low-latency chip-to-chip link between quantum computers and GPUs.” In January 2025, SEEQC raised a $30 million funding round.

**SpinQ:** This Chinese startup, founded in 2018, develops quantum computers, some of which they claim are portable and utilize nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology.

**Xanadu:** Canadian startup Xanadu is developing quantum computers using a photonic approach. In January 2025, they introduced “Aurora,” a 12-qubit system comprised of 35 photonic chips. The company has raised $275 million to date.

The race to build practical, scalable quantum computers is far from over. With diverse approaches and significant investment pouring into the field, the companies listed above represent just a snapshot of the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape. The coming years will undoubtedly reveal which of these approaches will ultimately lead to the quantum revolution.